


Exception

by imaginedragonsfly



Category: The Mandalorian (TV)
Genre: F/M, Idiots in Love, Pining, post episode 8
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-07-05
Updated: 2020-07-05
Packaged: 2021-03-05 06:34:36
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 2,199
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/25070038
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/imaginedragonsfly/pseuds/imaginedragonsfly
Summary: Din walked all his life alone. A year ago he did not need anyone. He liked his solitude. So what changed?
Relationships: Baby Yoda & The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV), Baby Yoda (The Mandalorian TV) & Cara Dune, Cara Dune & The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV), Cara Dune/The Mandalorian (The Mandalorian TV), Caradin
Comments: 21
Kudos: 75





	1. Chapter 1

Din wearily walks the Razor Crest ramp dragging the unconscious bounty. Heat sweltering, moving like waves in the distance. Sticky sweat dripping on his back and blossoming on his forehead. He activated carbon-freezing and with his last strength pushed the bounty in. He moves towards his sleeping compartment, hoping the child is still asleep. He’s been out five hours, he curses inwardly. He thought this is going to be an easy bounty.

The kid squeaked, the moment the door opened. His big luminous eyes trying to discern who’s outside. He bounced on his feet, his steel ball on one hand and a stuffed green frog on the other. Running towards Din. Despite his exhaustion, Din can't help but be elated seeing his kid. “Ad'ika” he says, reaching down to stroke the fine downy hair on his son’s head. The kid plasters himself on Din’s waist trying to cover his whole torso with his short hands.

“What did you do while I was gone?”

Din looking at the sleeping compartment. The holoscreen on, projecting an animated dancing porg counting to 10. The child’s toys lined up by the wall as if viewing the program with him. His stuffed mudhorn - half the size of the kid, a blurrg, a porg, and a light blue, a red, and an orange frog. Building blocks strewn all over. His favorite blue blanket crumpled on an empty space right in the middle of the toy line. Din sighs. I guess the kid had been up for a while. He peeled off the kid still hugging him and asked, “Are you hungry? We still have some meat skewers from yesterday.” The kid burbled and squeaked to agree.

Din sits himself at the table, helmet off, face washed hastily. Sharing a meal with his son who is happily stuffing his face with small pieces of grilled meat and vegetable florets. He notice the colorful macaroni necklace on the kid. Like a dam bursting open, the empty spaces around the him are filled with Cara's presence. Like ghosts, mocking him.

Cara and his son at the table painting macaroni pasta with different colors. Her stringing them together and adorning the squeeing kid with it. Din trailing behind her, coming home from a supply run and Cara presenting the kid with the stuffed mudhorn. The kid’s eyes widening even more that he thought possible. Warmth spreading all over him from that memory alone. Waking up one morning smelling the brewing caf, faint voices coming from the common area. Din walking in seeing the kid perched on the table, his blue blanket draped over him with just his face showing. Cara adjacent to him, hot caf on hand, responding to all his gurgles and babbles with much interest. Din had to swallow a lump in his throat. Having Cara with them for almost two weeks felt like a moment suspended in time. Where everything fits, everything made sense.

Before the landing in Nevarro he was making calculations as to how he can improve the storage compartment to make it more suitable for Cara’s needs. He never voiced it. In the end he didn’t need to. Cara told Din she was staying behind. He was stunned. It took a couple of seconds before he can utter a response. Modulating his voice to erase the hurt he has no right to feel. Of course she wanted to stay. Being cooped up in a ship is not exactly a life everybody dreams about. So he left.

Life went on. Bounties cashed, another planet to explore. Din could scarcely catch his breath from one job to another, added to keeping up with the kid. He kept himself busy, so afraid of the pause that might bring memories flooding back. The nights are agony, lying in his bed, his mind filling with nothing but her. So he run himself ragged to the point of exhaustion and passing out.

He walked all his life alone, so what gives. A year ago he did not need anyone. He liked his solitude. Independence was good and profitable. He had companions before. A group of ragtag, unsavory bunch that did jobs here and there. But he always craves being alone. It was a relief after each job completion, knowing he was going to be on his own.

Cara was the exception. He looked forward to working with her. With her expertise who wouldn’t. But that’s not it. He is not blind as to deny she looks multitudes better than any hunter he worked with. But he had his chances to stunning beings of all kind, curiously intrigued by him. Some so insistent as to have managed to spend a night with him. But it never lasts. Courtly he would go back to his task, mundane stuff that would bore his companion in no time. He was grateful for it.

With Cara, she became part of it. The supply run, the routine repairs and just occupying the space in between. He didn’t notice how she became so intertwined in their lives in such a short time as to feel so bereft now that she’s gone. She was the exception.

Din hears a gurgle by the door. He craned his head to see the kid dragging his mudhorn waddling over to his bed. With a smile he picks him up and deposits him by his side. The kid burrowing under his arm. This too was an exception. Since Cara travelled with them, the kid rarely slept in his pod. Din wouldn’t allow the kid in his cot but the kid would go straight to Cara’s compartment. Cara would say, just this one night. Till it became every night. Cara made this exception and he was glad for it. With his son by his side, the same thoughts running through his head, somethings got to give. He knows he needed to at least try.

The next morning he woke up feeling light. With a determined direction he sent a hologram to Greef. He was coming back to Nevarro. With a steaming fresh caf, he opens the storage compartment. Looks it over carefully. He didn’t do much but the cot was made comfortable and some added shelves on the side. His eyes lingered on the kid’s blue blanket already there. He felt foolish for a moment. Unsure of what Cara would want but he have to take a chance. Cara is his exception.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> CaraDin has a very tenacious muse. I blame her for everything.


	2. Chapter 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Thank you for the kind words and kudos. You guys are awesome!!! I can't believe I wrote another fic. Here goes.

Midday and the Razor Crest is touching down in Nevarro. The port is buzzing. The sun shining, wind whipping the kid’s ears back. Excitement evident on his face, chirping nonstop recognizing where they were going.

Din on the contrary feels restless, heart hammering in his chest.

The cantina is unusually busy. Din spotted Greef in his personal booth.

“Mando” Boomed his voice. “Come, sit by me and chat with your old friend.”

Scanning the place, Cara wasn’t there. He had to smother the disappointment bubbling up. Did she know I was coming? Does she even want to see me?

He slid in the booth with Greef, pod following him. Before Din can utter a word, the kid stepped on the table, dragging his mudhorn with him.

“Magic hands!” Greef waving at the kid with his three fingers. The kid giggled waving back before stuffing the mudhorn leg in his mouth. Plopping right in front of Mando.

“Let me get the kid some frog legs, we have a new chef here. We are testing him out…” Greef’s voice faded while Din scans the room again.

Then he hears her voice, the unmistakable sultry drawl followed by a boisterous laugh. He's almost afraid to look. Afraid of what? That she might be happy here. Created a life she might not leave behind.

“Mando, you’re back.” Her words snapped him out of his doubts and looked up.

Cara looks sun kissed, light freckles dusting her cheeks and nose, lips wearing that disarming smile. Nevarro looks good on her. His breath hitched. “Cara, you look…n..nice.” A bright flame crept into her cheeks.

A small green lump jumped into her arms. “Hey kid.” Hugging the kid and his mudhorn together. Din silently scolding himself for the stutter and the out of the blue compliment. Since when did he started giving away compliments? Really Din, way to be inconspicuous.

“You still have your mudhorn.” She says. Lightly poking a finger in the child's belly. Earning her a long coo while tucking himself on the crook of her neck.

“Haven’t left his side since you got it.” Din replied. She hugged the kid a little tighter.

Cara stayed and chatted like old times, animated as always. Din looking externally serene is struggling, pulse pounding. His heart in his throat. The kid blissfully unaware, polishing his plate of frog legs. Greef in turn beaming at the kid, chiming into Din and Cara’s conversation. “There’s a bazaar opening tonight, you kids should check it out.”

“We’ll pick you up here later?” Din offers. “Nah, I got business to attend to. You kids enjoy.” Greef declined with a sly smile.

At sun down the town is bustling. Colorful stalls lined up the streets. String lights covering the night sky. They had everything under the sun, colorful silks, delicious treats, weaponry, spices of every shade. Even a Mustafarian fire dancer, flames circling above his head.

The kid’s bright eyes widening at every turn. Excitement palpable. He let out a loud squeak seeing a stall full of plush animals, big and small. He squawked and made grabby hands towards the nearest plush. The vendor exclaimed. “ Which one do you want, little one?”

Din stopped and leaned into the pod. “Ad’ika, don’t you think you have enough of those at home?” The kid having non of it squawked louder, reaching for a pink frog in front of him. Cara tried to stifle a laugh. Earning her a glare, piercing through his beskar.

“Don’t encourage him.” He admonish softly, mirth in his voice.

In the pod however, eyes are tearing up and chest starting to heave. The plush started to float.

Din had no choice but to give another frog a home.

They spent hours looking from stall to stall, enjoying the performers popping up here and there, sampling treats and admiring strange weapons.

It was close to midnight and the kid is nestled on Cara’s chest desperately trying to keep his eyes open. Stubbornly refusing to end his day. Din offers to take the kid and walk Cara home. The kid is having non of it. He whines when he feels Din’s hands on him, he clings to Cara’s shirt even tighter at every try. Cara soothes the kid by running her hand on his back.

“I’ll carry him to the Crest, no big deal.” she offers. Din's heart skipping a beat. He briefly grasps Cara’s hand, wordlessly thanking her.

After a few rounds of bouncing and slow dancing, the kid finally relented and is snoring softly in Din’s bed. Seeing the kid surrounded with his beloved toys. Cara asked, “ Where are you going to sleep tonight?” Turning to see Din disengage his last piece of armor. With only his helmet and flight suit on, her eyes lingers on his bare hands.

With a deep sigh, Din took her hand and led her to the converted storage room. The dingy room she use to sleep in is gone, replaced by an actual resting area, with shelves and all. The change is startling. “I didn’t know you were receiving visitors now.” She chides gently. Her voice cracking unmistakably.

“It's all for you. Unable to stop himself.

It's yours if you want it.” Doubt, tinging his voice. He walks a bit closer.

“Its not much but it’s all I can offer.” He says, barley above a whisper.

“You did this, thinking I would go with you?” She ask while untangling her hands from his.

Before he had the courage to reply, she walks away.

Her retreating steps echoed on the steel floors. 

His whole world sank, eyes fixed down, strength leaving him. He could't bear to see her go. He couldn't even look up. 

What was he thinking doing this? Pain blossoming in his chest.

The room went dark. Pitch black, his night vision turned on.

Confused, he sees Cara walking towards him. Her steps determined. She closes the gap between them, draped her arms on his shoulders and whispered “Can I kiss you?”

Hearts racing. He couldn’t tell if it was his or hers. Nor did he care.

Cara hears a hiss and a gentle thud.

Big careful hands cradling her face, his thumb tracing her lower lips. Breaths mingling. Her whole world reduced to sensations.

His lips touch hers, softly at first, then with increasing intensity that had her clinging to him like he was the only thing anchoring her.

Stopping only to catch their breath. Foreheads together, he lifted her hand reverently to his lips and kissed it. “Come with me.” He ask. His heart thundering against her chest, or was it her heart, trying to escape.

“Yes.” She whispered. "Yes" She repeated. “It took you long enough to ask.” Smile forming on her lips as it crashed against his. 


End file.
